Green
by Simone Robinson
Summary: "There in the trenches, the green so dirty and torn it was barely recognisable. When Gai was breathless and injured. But he was determined, and there was a hope, a stronghold against the fear, a shield against the dark." What happens when a comrade is lifeless and all the colour fades from your world? What happens if the shield against the darkness is no more?


**A/N: Set after Gai's fight with Kisame and their return to Konoha, before the official start of the Fourth Shinobi War, before Gai joined the main group again.**

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><p><strong>Green<strong>

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><p>Green. Kakashi had never known a colour more vibrant, more full of life. It was a colour seemed into his memory from long ago. It was the colour of the rolling hills, the forests that surrounded Konoha. It was the colour of the leaves, the training ground. It was the colour of the cloak of the fifth hokage. It was a colour that seemed to always be there. Reliable. Constant. Always there without fail.<p>

It was the colour of Gai's jumpsuit. The obnoxious green jumpsuit that he had worn since they were young and fighting in the Third Shinobi war together. Far too young to be Jonin. Far too young to be in a war to the death. Far too young to lose comrade after comrade.

Nothing had been constant in that world, the world of war and hardship. Nothing had been constant, not even life, not even your friends. Everything was fleeting, and you hardened your heart to save yourself from pain, save yourself from heartache. Kakashi had always been good at shutting people out. Always, ever since his father died. Even after the death of Obito, it was not often Kakashi entrusted anyone with his heart. After all, Rin was gone, Minato was gone, and his comrades fell on the battle field, one by one, despite his best efforts. Despite doing his best.

But one thing was constant. More constant than a world of blood. More constant than death, then the colour red, then the pain that shot up your body and through your spirit.

Green. The constant colour of life, the colour of healing and rebirth. Green of the hills, of the forests where their comrades fell. The green of Gai's jumpsuit, the least subtle outfit he had ever encountered. Obnoxious and loud. But always there. Just like Gai was. Always there. There even when he didn't want him to be. There when all he wanted was to be left alone to wallow in his misery, in the death of his comrades, in the drink and regrets that filled him so completely. There when he wanted nothing more than to bring the blade down and end it all.

There in the trenches, the green so dirty and torn it was barely recognisable. When Gai was breathless and injured. But he was determined, and there was a hope, a stronghold against the fear, a shield against the dark. Kakashi protested, he never admitted it, Why would he? He was a highly skilled ninja and, in his youth, he was arrogant, presuming that he didn't need a shield from the darkness of the world. But he did. _Kami, he did_.

There had been times where the green had faded and the world seemed dull. But Gai always came back, bounced back, even when Kakashi h supported him, staggering and drunk, bleeding and broken. Even when the darkness in Gai's eyes was deeper than Kakashi ever wanted to admit, so deep that even Kakashi wasn't sure if he could reach it, could understand him anymore. Even then, Gai would come back full of determination and life; the green would come back eventually; it would renew the earth, revive the village, and bring back light into the darkest corners of Kakashi's soul.

But now, now the green was gone.

It had been sapped from the world in a rush, draining the light, turning the world to darkness. There was nothing but grey now, grew and muted colours of death. Because without green, how could there be life? Without the green, how anything could survive, thrive; be fed with sunlight and hope? There was no more hope.

His world had stopped. In an instant, everything had changed. The one constant that kept his sanity had shattered, and Kakashi's spirit threatened to do the same. _It couldn't be!_

Kakashi raced down the hall, to where Gai lay on the stretcher. Everything around him blurred, and the skill of his sharingan seemed to have left him. His breath was shaky, and that was no way for a ninja to be. He had seen death, tasted it, watched his comrades die. Why was he reacting like a genin? Like an innocent?

But_ Kami_ Gai looked so weak…His skin was white, whiter than Kakashi had ever seen it. His eyes scanned his friend's body, searching for wounds searching for something that could make him look so weak, so very, very weak. Gai was always full of strength and life. Nothing ever kept him down, stopped him. Nothing. He always vowed he would die before it stopped him.

Kakashi's heart dropped into his stomach, a heavy weight of dread that seemed to wrap around his throat, choke him and leave him breathless. He searched for the chakra signal that he knew so well, that he could detect without a second thought. Movements that he could mirror without hesitation, knowing his position from only a brush. Comrades, best friends, rivals. Since childhood, since the war. But now, there was nothing. So little chakra, so little life force. What had happened? _What happened? _

"Gai!" His voice was sharper than he would have liked, sharp with something like fear, like panic, but he barely realized, grabbing the edge of the stretcher so hard that his knuckles turned white, barking questions to the medical ninja that carried the fallen warrior, "What_ happened_?"

He didn't wait for a reply; he didn't wait for a meaningless answer or explanations, "_Gai!"_

Gai was strong, so strong. He had beaten Akatsuki, fought side by side with Kakashi, survived the war. He couldn't be taken down now. Not when the war was upon them, when they were on the very brink of their greatest fight. Gai was his second in command. He had always been his partner. He couldn't forsake him now, just when he'd promised to have Kakashi's back.

_He hadn't had Gai's back. _

The thought slammed into his chest with all the force of an ultimate jutsu, sending his mind reeling. He hadn't been there, "Gai!"

He grabbed his friend's arm, fingertips closing around the green fabric, feeling the strength beneath. But what good had that strength done him? Lying now, still, silent, broken.

He couldn't be broken. Not Gai. He tightened his grip.

Beneath him, Gai twitched. It was the tiniest movement of pain; Gai squeezing his eyes shut tighter, jaw tensing. But it was enough. Relief flooded through Kakashi's chest, making him dizzy with realization. He was _alive_. And if he was alive, he could pull through. He always did.

Gai opened his eyes. It was a struggle, an obvious fight. So much effort just to open his eyes. So weak. Iit caught Kakashi's breath in his throat, "Gai…don't push yourself so hard…idiot."

The faintest smile played on Gai's lips, his eyes unfocused as they finally opened a slit. Pained, he looked so pained. His voice was a rasp, and it seemed to take all the effort he had, "….s…even…"

Kakashi knew without him saying anymore. The eight gates that Gai was so skilled at. He'd opened seven of them. _How had he survived?_ The thought rushed through Kakashi and struck his heart. Seven gates? No one had mastered beyond six, even for Gai that was a struggle, thought impossible. But he'd done it. He'd _survived._ So that's why Kakashi felt no chakra, felt no life. He'd pushed himself too hard, much, much too hard. But he would live. Something like pride surged through Kakashi, at the strength of the man he called comrade, called friend, called rival, and he nodded, resting his hand on Gai's shoulder, "Honestly….you don't know when to stop, do you?"

Kakashi sighed, "Rest, Gai…you're my second in command in battle, and the allied forced need you."

_I need you_.

"Be ready for battle. Remember…you promised."

A flicker of a smile passed through Gai's eyes, "You…ve…got it…"

No brash comments, no proclamations of grand feats, just a cracked whisper. Kakashi squeezed his friend's shoulder as Gai's eyes fell shut.

He was weak, he was tired, but he wouldn't die, because Gai never broke a promise; Gai wouldn't leave his comrades alone. He'd be there to back Kakashi up, and Kakashi would be there to back Gai up, shield him when the darkness got too much, have his back when the kunai were at his throat and everything seemed hopeless. Just as they always had. Just as they always would. Just as they had both promised. Kakashi and Gai never broke their promises.

And as they carried Gai away to the medical bay, Kakashi turned to face the battle before him, the battle he was meant to help lead. It would be a hard fight. Men would die. _His_ men would die. Nothing would be constant in the ever changing world of war where Shinobi died, where every moment could be your last. Where green was almost clouded out with red, where there was pain, tears, grit that bit into your skin as you fought until your last, as your comrades fell around you. Kakashi had hoped to never face that world again, but face it he would. He would lead his team into victory, into survival. He had to. He'd cling to his sanity in that world. Because in that world, nothing was constant.

Except Gai, and the colour that had flooded back into his world. The colour that had kept him sane all these years. Just a little bit longer, just a little bit more.

Kakashi took a deep breath and steeled his soul, "I'm counting on you…_Gai_."


End file.
